Tuesday, January 8, 2019

Today in Soap Opera History (January 8)

1975: Ryan's Hope's Pat comforted Delia with a song.
1985: Santa Barbara's Lionel fell off a train and had his ID stolen.
2008: Days of our Lives' EJ found John in Stefano's basement.
2014: Guy Wilson made his first appearance as Will on Days.

"History speaks to artists. It changes the artist's thinking and is constantly reshaping it into different and unexpected images."
― Anselm Kiefer

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1937:Clara, Lu & Em actress Isobel Carothers died suddenly at age 37. Clara, Lu, and Em was radio's first network daytime soap opera, beginning June 16, 1930 over WGN-AM Chicago, Illinois. It moved to the Blue Network in 1931 and later NBC.

The show began as a Northwestern University sorority sketch by Louise Starkey (Clara), Isobel Carothers (Lu) and Helen King (Em). Their friends suggested they go on the radio, so the trio approached WGN and did their first shows for no pay.

After Carothers' death, Starkey and King decided not to continue the program. When the program returned with Starkey and King in 1942 on CBS, another of their Northwestern University friends, Harriet Allyn, portrayed Lu. Allyn continued in the 1945 cast as Em, along with Fran Allison as Clara and Dorothy Day as Lu.

1976: On Ryan's Hope, Delia Reid Ryan (Ilene Kristen) told her brother-in-law, Pat (Malcolm Groome) that she was miserable and believed that was why her husband, Frank, had lost all interest in her. Delia convinced Pat to sing "Believe Me, if All Those Endearing Young Charms" to make her feel better.

1980: On As the World Turns, Barbara Ryan (Colleen Zenk) returned to Oakdale following a mysterious trip to Philadelphia.

1980: On The Edge of Night, Miles (Joel Crothers) assumed the worst when Derek (Dennis Parker) made dinner plans with Nicole.

1981: On Another World, Rachel Cory (Victoria Wyndham) tracked down Sue, the woman who had seen a man that had been shot the night Mitch Black supposedly died. Rachel told her she wasn't going to let her go until she got the information she needed. Judy Cassmore aired for the final time as Margo Grove in this episode.

1982: On Dallas, J.R. (Larry Hagman), Bobby (Patrick Duffy) and Ray (Steve Kanaly) went to South America to search for their missing father, Jock Ewing, but the only managed to recover his medallion. They returned to Southfork and broke the news to Miss Ellie (Barbara Bel Geddes).

1993: On The Young and the Restless, Molly Carter (Marilyn Alex) gave her daughter, Sheila (Kimberlin Brown), valuable information about Scotty's custody.

2001: On One Life to Live, Max Holden (James DePaiva) tried to convince Blair Cramer (Kassie DePaiva) not to marry Todd Manning (Roger Howarth). Later, on his jet, Todd revealed a new passport to Blair with the name "Blair Cramer Manning."

2004: Actor Charles Brown died at age 57. He played Russ Anderson in All My Children as well as roles in Loving and Another World.

2008: On Days of our Lives, EJ DiMera (James Scott) went downstairs at his Stefano's (Joseph Mascolo) mansion and found John Black (Drake Hogestyn) in Rolf's lab.

2009: Actor Don Galloway died at age 71. His soap roles included Buzz Stryker in General Hospital and Kip Rysdale in The Secret Storm.

2014: Guy Wilson debuted as Will Horton on Days of our Lives. Wilson left the show in October 2015 when the character was murdered.